MODEL HISTORY

In the 60s, the Ferrari 250 GTE was the most beautiful, luxurious and comfortable family car you could buy. Perhaps the Ferrari 250 GTE is the reason the Ferrari name lives today. The only way Mr. Enzo Ferrari was able to fund his racing legacy was to build road cars. The “E” in GTE stands for “Export”, because the Ferrari 250 GTE was the first 2+2 production road car that hit the shores around the globe. Only 954 cars were produced from 1960 to 1963. Experts say that there are less than 500 number matching examples left. This is one of them. The 250 GTE had 3 series of models. The first series is noticed by the front headlights. The fog lights are placed inside the grill. The second series looks the same as the first on the outside. The inside however has an air vent in the center console and the radio is not flush with the dash.

The 3rd series has the fog lights placed outside the grill to the inside of the headlights just below them. The tail lights also became one unit whereas on the 1st two series the tail lights where 3 bulbs in a vertical line.

The Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 was officially announced at the Paris Motor Show of October 1960. But several months prior the 250 GTE 2+2 served as the course marshal’s car at Le Mans. Even though it was never designed as a racing car, its roots were clearly seeded in competition.

The 250 GTE 2+2 was designed to be driven and meant to be fun. It is a vintage V12 Ferrari that can be maintained without expensive tools and driven for weekend getaways without an entourage of mechanics. The designers succeeded above expectations. So if you are a discerning car buyer in the early 60s and could miss $13,000, the Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 was the best car you could buy.

There are several special-order 2+2s produced in the late 1950s, but this 250 GTE 2+2 was Ferrari’s first true production 2+2. In the early 60s Ferrari was keen to increase its market and wanted to compete with Aston Martin and Maserati. The 2+2 was the first wide-scale four-seat Ferrari production car with 953 examples in total, across three model variants. This car was a game-changer for Ferrari, a manufacturer of racing and sports cars was now adding a comfortable four-seat “family” car to its line-up.

They used the same chassis as the legendary 250 GT LWB Tour de France, but moved the engine eight inches forward. The front and rear track were increased and the rear section of the roof was raised, providing more cabin space to accommodate the rear seats. The ability to fit four passengers comfortably in a single car increased Ferrari’s market significantly. The Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 became Ferrari’s top-selling model of the time.

Although the Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 is a four-seat Ferrari, the backseats are rather tight for adults but ideal for children. The model was followed by the visually similar 330 Americas and its successor the 330GT 2+2. The large production run of the GT/E was a major contributor to the financial well-being of Ferrari in the early 60s. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of the GT/E was $12,900.

WHEELS, TYRES & BRAKES

HISTORY FILE

Full Numbers matching car

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